LOCAL SPORTS
AUS: At the AUS Basketball Championships in Halifax, the X-Women defeated UPEI 80-55 in Friday’s quarterfinal. Player of the Game Shannon Neita led the offensive attack with 17 points and hauled in 11 rebounds for the X-Women. The X-Women face the Saint Mary’s Huskies in the first women’s semi-final, with tip-off at 1 pm at Scotiabank Centre. The X-Men got a bye into the semi-finals, where they will take on Memorial at 3.
In hockey, a three point night from Olivier-Luc Hache helped the Moncton Aigles Bleus defeat the X-Men 5-3 in the first game of their best-of-five semi-final series. Game 2 of the series is tonight in Moncton, with Game 3 at the Keating Centre Tuesday night.
St. FX Medalists at the AUS Track & Field Championships in Moncton: Caroline Ash silver 1000m, Allie Sandluck silver 3000m, Eileen Benoit bronze 3000m, Jack O’Connell bronze 3000m
NS Junior: In Port Hawkesbury, the Bulldogs shut down the Strait Pirates 5-0. The first round of the playoffs begin next week, with the Bulldogs versus the Scotians, while the Pirates take on the Membertou Junior Miners.
Maritime Major Female League: The Northern Subway Selects have swept the Cape Breton Lynx following a 6-0 shutout in Game 3 of their playoff series. The Selects will take on the winner of the Capitals-Penguins series, which the Penguins currently lead 2 games to none.
The finals are set in the Rural League. In Friday’s action at the Arena, Pleasantdale defeated St. Croix 3-1 to take their semi-final series in 5 games. Heatherton also took their series in 5 games, defeating the Outlaws 6-2.
Maritime League: The Pictou County Weeks Crushers are in Amherst to face off with the Ramblers at 7.
U15: The Bombers host Bedford at the Wellness Centre at 4 today, followed by the Novas versus the Gulls at the Arena at 5.
U18: The CB West Islanders are in Cole Harbour to take on the Wolfpack at 7:10 tonight, while the Weeks Majors take on the Macs at the Halifax Forum at 7:30.
It’s the first game of the Northern High School League finals, as Northumberland plays CEC in Truro. Puck drops at 3.
NATIONAL SPORTS
Kyle Connor scored 25 seconds into overtime as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2. Connor’s 21st goal of the season deflected off the skate of Nick Foligno and past goalie Petr Mrazek. Nikolai Ehlers scored twice in regulation for Winnipeg, ending his 10-game goal-scoring drought.
Matt Boldy scored a pair of goals as the Minnesota Wild came away with a 4-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Jonas Brodin and Mats Zuccarello also scored for the Wild, who have gone 6-1-1 in their last eight games. Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman responded for the Oilers, who have lost two in a row.
Immanuel Quickley had a career high six three-pointers and scored 24 points to help the Toronto Raptors down the Atlanta Hawks 123-121. It was Toronto’s second straight win after the all-star break. The Raptors are now 3 ½ games back of Atlanta for 10th in the N-B-A’s Eastern Conference and the last play-in spot.
Miami’s Jimmy Butler was among four players ejected after a scuffle early in the fourth quarter in the Heat’s 106-95 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. Heat reserve Thomas Bryant and two Pelicans — Jose Alvarado and Naji Marshall — were also ejected after fisticuffs erupted with 11:19 left and Miami leading 84-81.
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr has agreed to a two-year contract extension for $35 million U-S, according to two people with direct knowledge of the negotiations. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because Kerr hasn’t signed his new contract.
Kerri Einarson’s bid for a record five straight Canadian women’s curling championships ended with a playoff loss to Kate Cameron. Einarson fell 9-4 to Manitoba’s Cameron to remain tied with Colleen Jones for the record of four consecutive Scotties Tournament of Hearts titles. Einarson’s team from Manitoba’s Gimli Curling Club was minus regular lead Briane Harris in Calgary. Curling Canada announced hours before the opening draw of the tournament that the organization was “made aware” that Harris was ineligible to compete. No further details have been released.
Friday’s Scoreboard
NHL
Buffalo 2 Columbus 1
Winnipeg 3 Chicago 2 (OT)
Minnesota 4 Edmonton 2
PWHL
Toronto 2 New York 1 (SO)
NBA
Toronto 123 Atlanta 121
Philadelphia 104 Cleveland 97
Oklahoma City 147 Washington 106
L.A. Clippers 101 Memphis 95
Miami 106 New Orleans 95
Houston 114 Phoenix 110
Denver 127 Portland 112
Golden State 97 Charlotte 84
Milwaukee 112 Minnesota 107
L.A. Lakers 123 San Antonio 118
Saturday’s Schedule (All times Eastern)
NHL
St. Louis at Detroit, 12 p.m.
Montreal at New Jersey, 2 p.m.
Tampa Bay at N.Y. Islanders, 2 p.m.
N.Y. Rangers at Philadelphia, 3 p.m.
Washington at Florida, 6 p.m.
Boston at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Toronto at Colorado, 7 p.m.
Vegas at Ottawa, 7 p.m.
Dallas at Carolina, 8 p.m.
Calgary at Edmonton, 10 p.m.
Minnesota at Seattle, 10 p.m.
Nashville at San Jose, 10 p.m.
Anaheim at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.
PWHL
Ottawa at Montreal, 2:30 p.m.
NBA
Orlando at Detroit, 8 p.m.
Boston at New York, 8:30 p.m.
Brooklyn at Minnesota, 9 p.m.
